Windber Historic District, Historic district in Paint Borough and Windber, Pennsylvania.
Windber Historic District is a preserved area in Pennsylvania containing around 944 buildings spread across approximately 299 acres. The structures range from Colonial Revival and Queen Anne styles to local vernacular designs, filling both the business and residential zones of the settlement.
The area began developing in 1897 when the Berwind-White Coal Company planned and built infrastructure for its operations and workers. Growth continued until around 1930, creating a complete company town built on coal industry prosperity.
The district displays architectural styles that mirror the social structure of a coal mining town, with grand company buildings standing alongside workers' homes. Walking through the streets, you see how the layout and buildings shaped daily life and reflected the relationships between owners and employees.
The area spreads between the borough line, Cambria Avenue, 28th Street, and Big Paint Creek, making it manageable to explore on foot. You can walk through different sections and observe various periods of architecture side by side without needing to travel far.
The district reveals how coal companies methodically planned and built entire towns according to their business needs, with distinct zones for operations and housing. This form of corporate town planning remains relatively intact, offering a rare look at how industry shaped community layout in that era.
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